Belt-tractor.



HAMILTON.

BELT TRACIOR.

APPLlcATioN r|LEnDEc.9.19m.

Putoued Apr. 10', 191?.

LQQ@

WELLAM l?. HAECILTON, OF'VENZURA, CALFORN.

EBEL'f-TRACTUR.

rasage/ie.

To all Lo/tom t may coment:

Be it known that l, jllllinnmir F. HAMIL- TON, acitiz'en of the lUnited States, residing at Ventura, in the county of Ventura, State of California, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Belt-Tractors, of which the following is a specification.

This ifi'vention relates to a belt tractor, and particularly pertains to the tractor belt 420 \with the surface of the ground; the links of the chain belt being engaged by the driv-` ing sprocket with'their pins seating between the .sprocket teeth. Thisi'c'onstruction has proved objectionable in that excessive wear of the pins and Ysprocket teeth results from the crowding j of the links against the s rocket whenjthe tractor is passing over o stacles or uneven surfaces, and also in the restricted tread area. resul-ting from the necessary inclination of the belt to and from the bearing rollers in .order to permit the tractor ,to pass over obstacles.

1t is the object of this invention to provide a construction of the belt links and its supporting and driving wheels byA means of which the links will be supported on the wheels with the connecting pins of the links spaced clear of the bottom walls of the spaces between the sprocket teeth, thereby Overcoming the objectionable wearing of the pins and sprockets as occurs in the ordinaryT construction above stated'.

A further object is to provide a sprocket wheel and link construction for tractor belts combined with an oscillating carrying frame whereby the length of tread portion of the tractor belt is increased as compared with ordinary constructions having correspending dimensions, thereby offering 'a greater traction 'driving area and support for the tractor and which will serve to facilitate the climbing of hills and passing over obstacles or uneven surfaces.

rllhe invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the `which wheels 9 and 'mounted mmm Specification of Letters Patent.

lower portion -fl the sprocket wheel showing a section of the tractor belt as engaged thereby.

Fig. 2 is a detail section and elevation 4on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 as seen in the direction indicated bythe arrows, and showing the manner in which the connecting pins of the belt links are-maintained clear of the bottoni walls of the spaces` between the sprocket teeth.

F ig. 3 is al view in side elevation of the tractor belt mounting showing the invention as appliedY More specifically, o indicates a tractor frame which is mounted to oscillate on a pivot pin 6 and which frame is fitted with bearings 7 and S at its lopposite ends on v 10 'are revolubly Patented flipar. 3111 19117.,-

application inea December 9, una. serial no. arena?.

Y Llhe wheels-9 and 10 are formed with latei'ally eXtending" annular anges 11 and 12 on the opposite sides and adjacent the periphery thereof.v The flanges 11 and 12 ,are arranged to project on opposite sides of a continuous annular rib 13 on the periphery of the wheel 9 and to extend on the opposite sides ofsprocket teeth 1-1 formed on the periphery of the wheel 1D to form seats or bearing surfaces for a tractor belt 15. The belt 15 is formed of a series of tread links The outer faces of the links 16 are formed with projections 18 for tractive engagement with, the ground surface and are formed with longitudinally extending flanges 19 and 20 on the inner faces thereof adapted to extend on the opposite side of the rib 13 and the sprocket teeth 14 and to seat upon the flanges' 11 and 12. The inner faces of the flanges 19 and 20 are so arranged in relation to the peripherie's of the connecting pins 17 and to the bottom walls of the recesses between the sprocket teeth 14 that the pin 17 will be held out of contact with the bottom walls of the spaces between the teeth 14 as particularly shown in Fig. 2, when the chain or belt passes around the wheel 10. Likewise the pin 17 will be supported clear of the rib 13 on the wheel 9 with the flanges 19 and 20 seated/on the flanges 11 and 12 of the wheel 9 on opposite sides of the rib 13,

which rib serves to prevent lateral displacement of the tractor belt.

Mounted `on the frame 5 on the lower side thereof is a series of rollers 21 disposed in tral portion of the tractor belt between the wheels 9 and 10, and thereby distribute thc weight of the tractor over a proportionately large area of the tractor belt. rIhis also provides a greater traction driving area.

The flanges 11 and 12 coperate with the rollersQl to form a seat for the tread portion of the tractor belt extending between the points where it passes around the lower parts of the wheels 9 and 10. By pivoting.

the frame 5,'the latter is free to rock and assume an inclined position when the end wheels 9 or 10 engage obstacles on the ground surface, so as to enable the tractor to climb over such obstacles. This arrangement serves to 'increase the length' of the tread portion of the belt as compared with constructions where the flanges 11 and 12 are not employed and where the belt is inclined from the` end wheels to the bearing rollers to facilitate the passing over the ob'- structions and irregular surfaces. The large tractor surface thus obtained enables the use of the tractor on soft ground.

What I claim is: V

l. In a tractor, the combination of a tractor belt, having a series of links connected'together by pivot pins, a pair of driving sprockets varound which said belt passes,

said sprockets vengaging the p'i'vot pins of the links, means on said sprockets over-l hanging the spaces between the teeth thereon for engaging and supporting the links to maintainl the pins out of contact with the' bottom walls of the recesses between the sprocket teeth on said sprockets, and a series of bearing rollers on which the lower leaf of said belt is supported in alinement with the lower face of said means, whereby the sprockets and rollers support the tractor.

2. In a tractor, the combination ofl a tractor belt, comprising a series of connected sprocket links and pivot pins forming connections between the adjacent links, a pair ofsprocket wheels around which said belt passes, saidsprocket wheels having laterally extending flanges overhanging the spaces between the teeth thereon engaging the links of the tractor belt to maintain the pins out of Contact with the bottom walls of the spaces between the sprocket teeth on said wheels, and. a series of bearing rollers on which the lower leaf of said belt is supported in alinement with the -lower faces of the flanges on said wheels, whereby the wheels and rollers support the tractor. y

In a tractor, the combination of al tractor belt,-co1nprising a series of links connected together by pivot pins, a pair of sprockets around which said lbelt passes, said sprockets having laterally extending'annular flanges on the opposite sides of the sprocket teeth thereon, overhanging the spaces between the teeth and engaging and supporting the tractor belt to maintain the pivot pins 'on said beltv out of contact with the bottoni walls of the recesses between the sprocket teeth, and a series of bearing roll-A ers on which the lower leaf of said belt is supported in alinement with the lower faces of the flanges on said wheels, whereby the sprockets and rollers support the tractor.

In witness that I Aclaim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 17th day of October, 1914. y

VILLIAM- F. HAMILTON.

Y- Witnesses:

' R. S. BERRY,

MARIE BATTEY. y 

